Second Thoughts
by Castle Haven
Summary: Set three months after watershed. Beckett does not go to dc. She accepts castle's proposal. Mostly AU. What follows next...
1. Chapter 1

Second Thoughts

Dear readers,

This is my first story. Please go ahead and judge away. Your comments and reviews are most appreciated. They'll help me to improve my writing. I see this as a multi-chapter story. I will continue if I get good response…or maybe even otherwise :p

This story is dedicated to my soul sister Raquel who convinced me to post it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle but I would be the happiest person on the planet if I could only own a ticket on a flight to LA.

x-x-x

Chapter 1

The blazing rays of the morning shone through the window. Kate rubbed her eyes and woke up to an empty bed. Lazily, she moaned and sunk under the covers again. One more day stuck at home. Ugh how she hated being sick.

By now she was used to waking up in Castle's loft. It wasn't even Castle's loft anymore. It was home. From under the covers she could hear Castle talking to Alexis. Some kind of delicious smell emanated from the kitchen. She smiled and sat up, a vague remembrance of the previous night's dream. She lowered her legs to put on her slippers and took a moment to rub her forehead. "Phew, what a nightmare," she said to herself.

Lazily she stretched her arms. 'I should get out of bed now', she thought. She was still a little drowsy from the medicine. She began to mull over ways to spend her day. Books? Movies? No. She had covered it all in that week. She was sick of being holed up. She wanted a case. Desperately!

Just then, Castle stepped into the room. "Oh good, you're awake! Alexis just left. I was just coming over to wake you", he said. "I made you pancakes with a smiley face".

"Thank you Castle but you don't need to bring me breakfast in bed every morning. I'm well enough to step out of bed."

Oh shoot. That was a little rude. She could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Well, firstly, you know I don't mind and secondly, if you don't get up soon, it's not going to be morning anymore", he said smiling. He could see that she seemed a bit out of it, flustered even. He understood.

"What time is it? Is it really that late?", she asked hoping he wouldn't be annoyed.

He sat beside her and kissed her gently on the forehead. "It's 10 am. Get out of bed already, sleepyhead."

Ah. How could she resist those shiny blue eyes? She loved the way he turned every snarky remark into a joke. The way he took care of her. The way he was so patient with her. Always.

"Wow. 10 am already. I can't remember the last time I slept this late."

"That's because you work too hard. And never ever take a holiday. I mean seriously is there no one else who can take care of a simple old murder on a Saturday morning?"

"Of course not, I'm extraordinary, remember?"

"Well that you are", he said, getting up. "And stubborn too. So I'm just going to go over to the kitchen and you can get dressed meanwhile. That is…..unless you need help getting dressed, no?" He winked and left the room shutting the door behind him.

She had never dreamed she would ever have this. A man who would go to the ends of the earth to protect her. All of his actions, so meaningful, so considerate. His actions, always making her smile. One of those dreamy smiles which were so rarely seen by anybody else.

Yes this was the man of her dreams. This was the man she was about to marry. And she had loved every moment of it. They had come so far from the first time that they met. Yet he still looked at her the same way-a mixture of awe, reverence and joy. She loved the fact that they could still drive each other up the wall with their theories yet still tease each other mercilessly. They were in love. Nothing could pull them apart. Or so she thought.

She thought back to the previous night's dream…

_"Hurry up Castle", she said as she ran down an alleyway chasing down a suspect. She could hear him panting, struggling to catch up with his much fitter partner. She could almost feel him breathing down her neck. A shot sounded from somewhere. All of a sudden, Castle seemed to be running slower and slower until he wasn't running at all. But Kate was still running. Her gun loaded, her face laden with determination, she wasn't even looking back. The alley seemed to lengthen into a catacomb of doorways and dark paths. Her suspect continued to run; she followed still lost in pursuit. He took turn after blinding turn to lose her but she wouldn't give up. She was too close. As she gained a final inch on him, close enough to press the trigger to his head, he almost jumped to his right._

_A square opened up in front of her eyes. Thousands of people crowded around what seemed like a fountain. She tried to get up on her toes to scan the crowd but her suspect was lost in this swirling sea of humanity. She ran left and right, like a lost puppy, aware that she had probably lost him. She ran until she could run no more. She sat down on a pavement, frustrated. At this point, she didn't give a damn about who saw her or what they might think about her. She just felt tired._

_A young couple stopped in front of her and tried to ask her if she was lost. They walked away when she seemed too dazed to reply. A jolt of memory hit her as she came to her senses. Where was Castle? Why wasn't he here with her in this place that she didn't seem to recognise? Where was she? What had happened to her? It was then that she spun around. She gaped in shock as she saw a sign at the edge of the road which said-"Turn left for Union Station". She was in D.C.!  
x-x-x  
_

Let me know how it goes. I'll be here nervously waiting for my reviews. And oh pls follow me on twitter SaiPitre


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I have to admit I never thought I'd get so much response so thank you all you guys who took the time to review. Castle and Beckett's story continues. I know the pace is moving very slowly but I felt like I had to get the details right to make the story believable. Bear with me.

This chapter is dedicated to Cory Monteith. The world lost a great human being. May he rest in peace.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or Beckett but if I did they would have shut the front door and made little Castle babies a few seasons ago!

x-x-x

Chapter 2

She had woken up in the middle of the night sweating profusely, her mind spiraling to make sense of her mind's inner wishes. The dream had ended as abruptly as it had begun. It had made no sense at all. She sat there for a few minutes, trying to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. Castle had been too fast asleep to notice her. She walked to the bathroom to splash water on her face. She almost laughed at her scared face in the reflection. She was being ridiculous.

It had been three months since she had walked away from the DC job. Three months of heavenly, blissful, engaged life with an amazing fiancé. She had not looked back over her shoulder even once. But this dream had pricked her bubble of happiness. Was it just a dream, or was it something more? She shook it off, trying to convince herself that it was just the medicines doing their job. Trying to think of happier memories, Kate willed herself to sleep.

x-x-x

She shrugged her shoulders and forced herself to her feet as she finally got out of bed. The sun was blinding. Medicines always made her sleepy. Just two more days and she'd be back on work. She hated missing work, but the flu had hit her hard this time. The doctor said she'd be fine if she took her pills and rested a bit. Of course Castle hadn't allowed her to go to the precinct. Ryan and Esposito had come to check on her once. Even Captain Gates had called to see if she was ok. Castle had been overdosing her with soups and smiley-face pancakes and breakfast in bed. Alexis and Castle had spent many an hour playing board games with her to rid her of the boredom. But she didn't want to be a burden on them. She knew he had a deadline he couldn't miss.

What she really needed was to solve a murder. A nice, juicy murder and all her fears would go away. Was she actually having psychopathic thoughts? She must really be bored.

She was just finishing the last of her pancakes, when her phone rang. She hoped it was not her dad, who had called her so many times, it was worrying. But it wasn't.

It was Esposito. "Yo Beckett, you ok?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Ya Espo, I'm not paralysed or anything. I'm fine. It's just the flu for God sakes."

"Someone's awfully grumpy! Well we got a fresh one over here. Weren't you supposed to be comin' in today?"

"Not tod-You know what Espo, I think I can just make it in today. Why don't you text me the address and I'll be right there? Ok?"

"Yeah, if you say so. Are you sure?"

"Espo, don't worry. I just need a cup of coffee and I'll be perfectly ok. Let me just grab my things and I'll take a cab."

"Well, this one's freaky. Might brighten you up."

Aha. Finally! She just couldn't bring herself to sit around the house for another moment, let alone two more days. Detective Kate Beckett had to be where the action was. Flu or no flu. It was the last straw.

She hopped into the shower and quickly got into her work clothes, not forgetting to grab her favourite heels from the closet. She hurried on over to the living room, eager at the prospect of a new case. Castle chose this moment to emerge from his study. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"Esposito called. There's been a murder. Listen Castle thanks for the pancakes but I think I'm going to get this one. You need to catch up on your writing and I don't want to disturb you. Besides my temperature hasn't spiked in –"

"Whoooaa. Slow down there champ. You can't go work on a case. Not like this. Not until the doctor says you are fine. Which is not for another two days. Just two more days. And they will pass by fast, I promise."

"Castle, I can't take it anymore. You know me. Would I be me if I just sat here waiting for innocent people to get killed?"

"I have a feeling your motives have nothing to do with innocent dead people".

Richard Castle was no fool. He could see that Kate was fed up and oddly distraught. He also knew that she had a habit of pretending to be okay even when she was not. What if she fainted on the job? What if something happened to her? He couldn't help worrying. He could not lose her. They had waited far too long for each other for something to tear them apart now.

Damn, he couldn't believe she was giving him puppydog eyes. Really?

"Rick please?! I really want to do this. Besides, Espo and Ryan will be there to back me up the whole time. And I'll call you the moment I feel even a little sick. Ok?"

Did she just call him Rick? That was a low blow. She knew he loved it when she called him by his given name. But he was drifting. FOCUS, Castle, he said to himself.

"Wait, Call me? Nope. No way. If you're going, I'm coming with you. And I still think you should sit this one out."

"NO. Castle, you have a deadline to meet. You should be writing. You cannot miss anymore deadlines on my account. And I don't need anyone to babysit me. I'm a grown woman and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Well don't come cryin' to me if something happens".

"Fine."

"Fine, then."

She stormed out and slammed the door, sneezing just as she reached the elevator. Phew! That was close.

x-x-x

We will be coming back to the dream again in a further chapter. The next chapter will be from Castle's POV. Comments and reviews always appreciated. I might not be able to post the next chapter for awhile if I'm busy with college so please don't hate on me.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:So I clubbed 2 parts together and got this chapter. It was really tough to write, especially the last part. Hope you like it. Thanks to all the people who read, reviewed and followed my story. This fandom really does support you.

This chapter is dedicated to V, because he taught me to believe in me.

Disclaimer: Andrew Marlowe is a gifted genius. Even if I owned the show I would hand it over to him. For free.

x-x-x

Beckett payed off her cab driver and got out in a hurry. Esposito and Ryan walked with her to the crime scene.

"What, no Castle?", Esposito asked, obviously surprised.

"Nope. He's sitting this one out. He's writing" Kate replied hastily.

"Are mommy and daddy fighting again?" Ryan chimed in.

"Guys, let's just focus on work, shall we? We've got a murderer to catch"

The guys exchanged glances and decided to let her have her way. They had reached the crime scene now. Lanie was leaning over the body trying to get a better look. She didn't look too pleased.

Beckett walked over to where Lanie was standing. "What do we have here today, Lanie?"

Lanie turned towards her best friend, surprised. "Beckett? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed girl! You can't be prancing around crime scenes with the flu. Imma smack you if you contaminate my crime scene."

"Espo called me."

As Lanie turned to give Javier a menacing glare, Beckett rushed to the rescue of her teammate.

"Heyyyy! It's my crime scene too. I'm perfectly ok."

"And where's your writer monkey?"

"His Highness is working. On his own job, for once."

"Damn. You seem pissed. What's up?"

Beckett was exasperated. Why was everyone asking her so many questions today? "That's because we have a dead girl here and apparently no one cares about her!" She spun around to face all the cops and officials at the crime scene and declared, "From now, anyone who talks about anything else except this murder here is doing my paperwork for a month."

That seemed to do the trick. After a few awkward looks and comments about the crazy screaming lady, everyone went back to what they were doing. Beckett knelt down again and Lanie started briefing her about what she had found so far. Ryan and Esposito canvassed the neighbouring area, trying to get witness statements.

When the team returned to the precinct to begin the investigation, Kate felt more tired than usual. Damn flu! She exclaimed under her breath. She excused herself to go to the ladies room as they emerged from the elevator. Had she really made a bad decision to come in to work today? The fight with Castle replayed in her mind and it just made her feel worse. She splashed water on her face, hoping it would make her feel better. She stared at the mirror for a while, trying to calmly recollect her thoughts. Why couldn't Castle understand? She could do this. There was no way she was walking away now. That girl's family deserved justice and she was going to get it for them. Rejuvenated, she sauntered out, more confident of herself. No. She was not going to lose her cool anymore today.

x-x-x

Richard Castle had not been pleased with the recent events. He watched Beckett slam the door behind her as she left. He didn't follow her. They had been through too many fights that had ended with either one of them slamming the door in anger. The one left behind was always too flabbergasted to utter a word.

And so, he sat on his couch, unable to move, unable to believe the scene that had just played out in front of his eyes. He could not even begin to think about his book or his deadline when he was so mad at his muse. He began to think of various scenarios in his head. He was not very worried about Beckett's health. She had recovered a lot in the past two days. He knew that whatever the situation, Kate was a smart woman. She had been taking care of herself long before he had come along. In case of an emergency, she would call-if not him then at least Ryan or Esposito. She would be safe.

He knew that her health had improved over the past few days and if not for her outburst that morning, he would have thought it a good idea for her to be back on her feet. Something about Kate that morning had irked him. The way she snapped at him- something was wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he had a feeling. Kate had always laughed at his 'gut feelings' calling them writer's imagination but she knew he could read her better than she could read herself.

Her boredom, her irritation- he could understand. What plagued his thoughts continuously was the fact that Kate had chosen to take this decision by herself. Yet again, she had excluded him. As his mind flashed back to all the times she had done the same thing before, he couldn't help but feel that she was hiding something from him.

There was no doubt. He was mad at her. What was it that so attracted him to strong-headed women? They were getting married in six months. Shouldn't he be an equal part and parcel of her life by now? He would never want to impose on her independence but he had the right to be concerned when she made rash decisions, especially given her history of rash decisions and the outcome they had had on her life.

He made up his mind. He would act. He would not be a silent observer anymore. He would not sit around and wait for things to get worse. He stood up and got his coat. He strode out of his apartment to his elevator just as his phone rang.

"Hey Castle, it's Lanie." Richard's heart skipped a beat as he imagined the worst. He held his breath just long enough to listen.

"Don't worry. It's nothing serious. I'm just worried about Kate. She seem a bit anxious to you? Hello? You there, Castle?"

He came back to his senses. "Umm yeah. She seemed a bit off-beat in the morning. I was just on my way to the precinct. We need to talk about this Lanie. Meet me at Nora's cafe? That's ok for you?"

"Umm-hmm ok. I guess I could leave a little early for lunch."

"Great. I'll see you there in twenty minutes."

"Ok then."

If Rick wasn't worried before, he was now. Lanie would not call him unless something was up. His mind felt numbed and his reasoning became blurred. Without waiting for the elevator, he rushed down the stairs.

x-x-x

So waddaya think? More angst or lesser angst? I haven't written anything ahead of this so I might take some time to think. Ideas, comments and reviews are more than welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

Second thoughts Chapter 4

I havent had much time this week. Here's a short next chapter.

This one is dedicated to my Grandmother because she fangirls about Castle with me too. How cool is that?

Disclaimer: I don't think I'm even legally old enough to own Castle. Whoops!

x-x-x  
Lanie was already waiting for him at the quaint, out of the way yet upbeat cafe that Rick had picked out for their meeting. He smiled at her as he walked through the door to sit opposite her at a street facing table.

"Hey. Did i keep you waiting long?"

"Oh no. I just got here. You got here quick enough."

"I had to. "

"I took the liberty of ordering you a coffee. "

"Well how nice of you, Dr Parrish."

Lanie seemed pleased to hear his answer. She was a loyal friend after all. She was just going to carry on with what she had come to say when two girls came up to their table, interrupting her chain of thought.

A flash of understanding spread across her face as the taller one asked Castle if he could sign "her chest". And once again Castle gave his winning grin and obliged. "Who should i make it out to?  
"You could make it out to Pam," she said leaning over promiscuously.  
"Well alright Pam, Have a nice day!"  
When she wouldn't budge after another two minutes. Lanie had had enough. Slightly raising her voice she almost yelled, "Ladies, he's engaged. Can we all return to what we came here for?" The girls clearly got the message and scurried over to their table.

"Lanie, you're such a kill joy," Castle exclaimed.  
"Castle, I don't know about all you fancy, bestselling authors but New York MEs generally don't have a very long lunch break. And i certainly don't intend to spend mine watching you scrawl love notes to blonde bimbos, especially since you're engaged to my best friend!"  
"Hey they're respectful. It's not like they stalk me. And they're the reason I earn my living so give them a break. "  
"How do you and Beckett even go out like this?"  
"Oh we manage all right. Or we just eat in", he said winking.  
The waiter arrived with their coffees and promptly left.  
"Ok Castle. Lets get back to what we came here for. " He nodded and she continued. "Did you and Kate have a fight or something? She looked really worried. She dodged me when I tried to ask her. I would have never come to you behind her back if she hadn't. She never hides anything from me."  
"Lanie, she isn't supposed to be at work for another two days. But she wouldn't listen to me when I told her to stay at home. You know her. Stubborn as always. Drives me crazy."  
"Did you atleast try to talk to her?"  
"She steamrolled me. I didn't even have a chance to speak my mind. "  
"I guess that was expected."  
"Not to me. She usually doesn't snap at me like that for nothing. What do you think is wrong?"  
"I don't know Castle. All i know is that you two lovebirds were blissfully engaged and she seemed really happy. Well until today that was. Espo said she ran into the ladies room first thing as they got to the precinct."  
"What are you saying? She's mad at me or something."  
"Well she did kinda seem upset when I mentioned your name. Castle is she... Is Kate pregnant?"  
Castle looked aghast as the essence of her words hit him fair and square. His eyes widened at the shock. "No Lanie. Nooooo."  
"Ok ok I'm not judging. You two took long enough to get together already."  
"No. Why would you even say that? She had a flu Lanie. That's why she must have run into the restroom."  
"Ok then. Was she this upset last night?"  
"No. She seemed ok. I took a break from my writing and we had a lovely dinner together. But this morning, she seemed upset. I wonder what went wrong."  
"You both need to figure this out together. Just sit down and talk to her."  
"But thats the thing Lanie. We've never been good at that. Coming out into the open and discussing frankly has not been our forte. You know that. She likes to think for herself. The job in DC, today morning. Its always that way. But you're right. I need to change that. And I'm going to try."  
"Beckett's a tough shell to crack and you got through Castle. I'm not asking you to change her ways. I'm just saying help her out. She has been coming to me for guidance all these years but you're going to marry her soon. You need to be her person now. You just have to be your annoying, charming self and pester her until she tells you what's wrong okay? And if you need help on something you can always approach me."  
"Yes. I need to do this for Kate. Thanks Lanie. I'll be on my way now. I take it there's a new case at the precinct."  
"Oh yes. It's a freaky one. You'll love it. And my break's almost over."  
Castle walked her out and then got into his own car. He was surprised at his own optimism and it only strengthened his resolve to confront Beckett. He had broken down her wall before, and he would do it again. Even if he had to tear it down with a wrecking ball.

x-x-x

The next one will be bigger I promise.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Thanks again for the reviews and follows. Always appreciated. Sorry this update took a long time coming but I was searching for inspiration.(That's writer speak for procrastination, by the way ;) )

This chapter is dedicated to Ingrid. You inspire me. You teach me. You love me. You believe in me. Know that I would do the same for you. Be A shoulder to lean on. A voice promising hope. A friend to be treasured. Always...

Disclaimer:If I owned Castle and was as lazy as I am, hiatus would probably be much longer(Not good for the fans)

So here we go. As promised- Longest chapter yet!(Aren't I just a honey? :p)

x-x-x

The elevator doors dinged open and Castle walked into the 12th precinct in a hurry. He went straight to Beckett's desk. It was empty. She wasn't there. Ryan and Esposito entered, surprised to see Castle at their boss's desk.

"Yo Castle aren't you a little late?" Esposito mocked.

"I hope not too late. Where's Beckett?", he asked.

"She's following down a lead, we're working on some records.", Ryan informed.

"Oh. What should I do?", he asked, eager to help as usual.

"Well you can stay out of the way. That always seems to help.", Ryan said as he fist pumped Esposito.

Castle just smirked. "Haha guys. Very funny. Can we be serious please?"

"I don't know what you can do Castle. Why don't you just call up Beckett?", Esposito suggested.

"I tried 10 times on my way over here. Voicemail, every time. She's rejecting my calls. "

"Don't you think that's one of your famous signs from the universe to leave her alone?", Ryan chuckled.

The boys were right. Maybe Beckett didn't want to be interrupted right now. There was no way he was going home. His conscience wouldn't allow him. He decided to just sit there in his chair and wait-like he'd done for so many years for his muse to show up and smile at him- that beautiful, shimmering smile that made him weak in the knees. And coffee- he needed to get coffee. He rushed to the break room to brew two fresh cups. He would be ready to handle her when she came in!

But Kate didn't come in. After about four cups of coffee for himself and countless games of Angry birds, he was bored. Ryan and Esposito were still immersed in piles of data. His mind wandered to Kate-their fight. His brain automatically spun back to all those huge, life changing fights they'd had over the years. He shuddered a little. "I better get some writing done while I'm still waiting", he thought. Kate had told him the password for her computer in case of emergencies. He decided to make use of it now. Boredom was as good an emergency as any.  
As her screen blinked to life, Castle smiled when he saw her wallpaper. It was a picture of him and Kate at their engagement party at the Old Haunt.

..._Castle had a glass of raised champagne in his hand. Kate looked stunning in her dark blue gown, eyes shining, one arm around his waist, leaning a little so that her head was just touching his shoulder. With her other hand she was making a v for victory sign. The party had been a blast. Just their closest friends and family. Alexis with a new boy, Martha- her charming self, Ryan with Jenny, who was glowing with joy as she rushed to congratulate Rick and kate. Lanie and Esposito had come together, much to the surprise of the others. They held hands all night as they danced and partied with that close-knit group. Jim Beckett had also been invited and the quiet man with a silent smile enjoyed the festivities from his seat, visibly rejoicing in his daughter's happiness. Captain Gates had made a small appearance too._

_Castle had never seen Kate so at-ease with her surroundings, so completely relaxed, so uninhibited. He remembered feeling how breathtaking she looked that night. They had not been able to keep their hands off each other all through the evening. And when they reached home, they both collapsed on the sofa, extremely tired. She looked into his deep blue eyes, like she could read into his soul and kissed him gently. It wasn't passionate. It was affirmative. It was a hopeful kiss. The assurance that they would be there for each other, whatever happened henceforth. Then they both sat there, weary but still smiling, basking in the warm atmosphere._  
_He was the first to break that comfortable silence._

_"You know what would feel really great right now?"_

_She turned slowly towards him, "What?"_

_"Ice cream! Which one do you want? Chocolate or vanilla? Please don't say strawberry!"_

_"Castle it's 12 in the night. You want to eat ice cream now? Didn't you just have dinner?"_

_"Please please. You'll see. This is the best time ever to have ice cream. There is nothing like ice cream to celebrate an engagement."_

_Not waiting for her to reply, he got up and ran over to the refrigerator._

_With a knowing smile, she acquiesced. This kid was her one and done. If he wanted her to eat ice cream with him at 12 in the night, so be it!_

_"Chocolate for me, Castle!", she yelled._

_Half an hour later they were still eating ice cream. They both had chocolate all over their face but none of them cared. They were laughing and giggling, like 12 year olds, not bothered who was watching._

_"I have to admit, Castle, this has been a truly incredible night. And this ice cream is delicious! Where did you get it from?"_

_"That's for me to know and you to never find out," he said raising one eyebrow slightly._

_"Wow Castle. If being married to you is having saturday nights on the couch with ice cream, then I'm glad I chose you as my one and done!"_

_"I'm glad you did too."..._  
x-x-x

A voice woke Castle up from his memories.  
"Castle! What the hell do you think you're doing? How many times have i told you to not mess with my chair? And why are you staring at my computer screen? "

With a jerk, Castle came back to reality. Kate looked mad but not as mad as she had looked in the morning. That was a good sign, he told himself.

"Hey. I was just waiting for you to get back. I made you coffee-"  
He picked up the mug in his hand.

"-which is now cold apparently. No worries. I'll go brew you a fresh one."

"Yes I would like that."

Castle was relieved to see her cheerful demeanor once again and he smiled as he left to get her coffee.

"Here's your coffee Madame."

"Well thank you Monsieur."

He sat down in his chair and they both smiled, for a moment.  
"So what have you been up to today, Beckett? Frankly, given the way we left things, I'm surprised to see you so lively."

"I'm sorry Castle. I've just been so terribly bored at home and I took out my frustration on you. But the case has brightened my mood. Kind of ironic isn't it?"

"I know what you mean! Murder is just so much better than dealing with my two red heads at home."

"I take it you didn't get much writing done huh?"

"How could i with my muse gone?"

"Aww. That's sweet Castle. But I'm warning you, if Gina calls me up one more time to make you write, I am chaining you to the desk for sure."

"She did what now? Honestly, I did not think Gina had it in her to take that step. Perks of having a diabolical publisher, I guess."

"Well she did. I was a bit taken aback at first but then I understood her desperation. You are one lazy man sometimes."

"Hey! That's enough. Like my ex wife talking to my fiancée wasn't traumatic enough. Can we get back to the case now? Tell me about it. Who is our unfortunate victim?"

"Linda Powell. 22. Student at NYU. Shot. Twice. Time of death is around 2-3 am. Looked like a robbery gone wrong. Her purse and wallet were still on her when we found her but cash was missing. They left the id behind though."  
She bit her lip as her forehead crinkled.

"And you thought it wasn't?"

"I had my doubts. She was a frail girl Castle. Lanie said she found no signs of struggle. I bet she was scared out of her wits when she was threatened with a gun. Why would the robber suddenly change his plan and shoot her. Twice?"

"Well what if she saw his face? He must have figured she would call the cops on him and panicked."

"What I don't get is-what was she doing roaming around a dangerous alley alone at 2 am in the morning?"

"Rendezvous with a lover maybe?"

"Something tells me she was mixed up in something bigger. "

"Are we talking drugs? But why would a NYU student do drugs? Would she? What do we know about her?"

"Exactly. So then I had Espo and Ryan run a background check on her. They've been going through her records all day. So far, nothing. She seems to be an average student. No recent behavioral changes. No suspicious activity."

"Then where were you all day?"

"I went to meet with the victim's family down in New Jersey. They were such nice people too. They all seemed devastated. I can imagine. They did mention something though. They said that she had suddenly changed her subjects from business to political science. Her parents and friends had no idea why. Linda just said that she felt a change was necessary."

"How would that explain her night-time meeting in a creepy alley? She obviously didn't go there to exchange lecture notes."

"I thought the same thing. So i went to her college to talk to her professor and you know what they told me?"

"What? Let me guess. Troubled boyfriend? Cheating on tests? Affair with a professor, perhaps?"

"Calm down Castle. They just said she had asked for permission to changer her subjects and her dorm room."

"But why would she change her dorm room? Did she have problems with anyone there?"

"I asked. She didn't. But we have this clue now. We just have to figure out why she changed her room and her studies and it will lead us straight to our killer."

"Hmm. So lets see. What about peer pressure? What if she felt she couldn't compete in business school.?

"Yes but it wasn't like she had ever had extraordinary grades before."

"Maybe she just got bored."

"Probably yeah. The world is competitive and the pressure can get to you."

"And there's really nothing else? Not even her financials?"

"Zilch. We got nothing."

"It's going to be that kind of a case huh?"

"I'm afraid it is. It's almost 7 pm and we're back to square one. And I'm really, really tired. I may have slightly overdone my first day back."

"You most certainly did. I think it's time for us to go home. You need rest. And soup."

Beckett rolled her eyes and gave him a stern expression.

"Or maybe some decaf," he said trying to make her feel better.

"Let's go Castle. We'll do better with fresh eyes tomorrow."

Turning to the boys she said, "Detectives, go home. It's late. We can get back to work tomorrow. Have a good night."

"Good night Beckett, Castle," they both chimed in unison.

With that, Castle and Beckett picked up their coats and strode out, eager to get to the sanctity of home.

"What a day it's been," Ryan exclaimed as they packed up the records to reopen again the next day.

"I don't know about you bro but if I have to spend one more day pouring over boring files, I'm going to punch somebody," Esposito declared.

"Same here. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

x-x-x

**So that's it. whaddaya think? I know it's a tone different from the earlier installments but I felt like it was required. Also I would like to write more about the case because I love Caskett's adorable theory-building. Also, we'll come back to Kate's dream. Your opinions are most welcome! Criticism feeds my brain! Go review!**!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: We refer to the dream here again. So it would be advised to brush up on the dream sequence in the last part of the first chapter of this story. Also there is just a pinch of abusive language, nothing serious, not enough to bump it up to an M.**

**Disclaimer: I've decided I don't want anything for my birthday so I guess I can't ask for the rights to Castle either.**

**x-x-x**

The rush hour New York traffic pounded on endlessly. Castle and Beckett were unusually silent on the cab ride home. The headlights of the cars shone bright, casting an orange glow on Kate's face. Her face radiated in the dimness of the cab. Castle could see the exhaustion that she was trying so hard to hide. What he also saw was the expression in her eyes. She looked far away into the distance as if in a trance. He hadn't seen much of this side ever before. He had seen angry Beckett, determined Beckett, loving Beckett, playful Beckett, sexy Beckett even but never dreamy Beckett. He stared at her even though he knew how annoyed she got when he did it but he couldn't stop.  
She looked conflicted, not exactly sad. But she had those dark shadows in her eyes. That grey look of bewilderment. She looked amazing even now. Somewhere between gently pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear and the nervous folding and unfolding of her palms, she managed to turn to him now and then and give him a slight smile. It made him go weak in the knees. It killed him inside to know that she was dealing with something that he didn't know about. That he could do nothing about. That she was placing a brick to rebuild the wall that he had so painstakingly torn down.  
He reached over and took her hand in his. "You ok Kate?"  
"Yeah, I'm just really exhausted. And don't you dare lecture me because I don't regret doing what I did today, though I agree I should have let you know."

"Kate. Hey listen," he said gently holding her chin up to him. "We don't have to discuss this now. You're tired. But tomorrow-let's sit down and just talk ok? You can tell me all that you want to. "

"There isn't really much Castle."

"Whatever it is, don't leave me out."

"Castle I never meant to hurt you or make you feel lonely. You know I love you."

"I know you do, Kate. I love you too. But the fact is that you can't keep freezing me out. I need to know what you're going through, so I can be there for you. "

Just as he finished saying this the cab slid to a smooth halt in front of Castle's loft. They paid the cab driver and walked back into the building, hand in hand.

This time it was Kate who broke the silence. At this point all she wanted to do was lighten the mood a little. She never showed it but the oppressive silences between them drove her crazy. Though she never lost an opportunity to reprimand Castle for his ceaseless chatter, at the end of the day she knew that his words mattered.

"Wow Castle I know it's good to be home but did you really have to tip the driver that much? I wonder how much Alexis' allowance is. "

He could see her weak smile in the dimness of the corridor. She was trying, she was making an effort. This was Kate Beckett being vulnerable. No agenda or angle, just love and playfulness.

"Well he did have to listen to our cheesy teenage conversation."

He grinned at her as they stepped onto the elevator, in perfect sync. Like always.

X-X-X

She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about the previous night's dream. Her mind unconsciously veered to what she thought she had put behind. She'd tried to distract herself all day but it was a little harder than she'd expected, especially when there was no Castle to come up with wildly exaggerated theories.

After a wholesome dinner, she went to help Castle with the dishes. Being the gentleman that he was, he hadn't let her even enter the kitchen while he cooked. She'd sipped her soup patiently waiting for him to finish up with dinner.

"Oh come on Castle. Let me help with the dishes. I don't want to just hang around here doing nothing."

"Kate, if I was sick, you wouldn't let me do the dishes, would you? Go sit in the hall. Watch TV. I'll be done soon enough."

"Well fine but seriously, I feel like you're my housekeeper or something sometimes."

He chuckled.

"You don't _have _to depend on me Kate, but you can and you should."

When he finished up with the dishes, Kate had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the TV. He picked her up and walked over to their bedroom and laid her down gently on the bed. She was still dressed in her work clothes and for a moment it occurred to him that he should wake her up and get her to change but he decided against it. She looked so peaceful and serene that he couldn't do it.

Castle kissed her goodnight as he turned the lights off. His strong arms surrounded her and he went to sleep. He always got really snuggly. Kate was sound asleep. She didn't even wake up when Castle picked her up. She looked so charming and calm that Castle couldn't even have imagined the turmoil going on inside her head at that very moment.

x-x-x

Kate's worst fears had come true. She was reliving her nightmare.

_There she was, back in that Washington alley chasing down the same suspect. He only seemed to run faster with every step she took. She'd left Castle behind long ago. As the criminal turned a corner, Kate froze as she saw his face. It was Dick Coonan. She stopped dead in her tracks, but only for a second. "He killed my mother." The words echoed all around her. It only steeled her determination to catch him. "Hey. Stop. NYPD," she yelled. It was too crowded to shoot. She didn't want any innocent civilians getting hurt. Her heels clicked hard against the cement as the pursuit continued, Kate gaining on him every second. After what seemed like an eternity, she caught hold of his jacket and yanked his collar hard. She forced him to turn towards her as she packed a punch to his jaw. She gasped in surprise as the man turned around. It was Hal Lockwood. His cold stare seemed to bore into her soul and it scared her. But she did not give up her command of the situation. She was Kate Beckett. No matter what the situation was, her aggression fuelled her on._

_"This time, you son of a bitch, you're finished. Forever"_

_She was pointing the gun straight at him and she pulled the trigger. Once. Twice. Thrice. The shots rang out in the crisp morning air and a flock of birds flew away. Her fingers trembled. She was still reeling from the shock. She couldn't stand there any longer, gazing into his lifeless eyes as the blood flooded his features._

_So she did the one thing she knew best. She ran. She ran towards that big unfamiliar square, with the comfort of the people, the huge crowds, the friendly gestures that had once confused her. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, almost as if he was the one chasing her._

_When she reached the fountain, oddly she began to feel much safer. She put her gun back in its holster and sat down on the pavement, just like before. An old man in a brown coat came up to talk to her from behind. _

_"Would you happen to have the time?" he asked. _

_Her palms were sweating as she glanced at her father's watch. _

_"It's 10.47," she said but when she turned back to look at him, he was gone. Instead she looked into the face of Cole Maddox. She still remembered his impudent grin as she saw him on that rooftop. The sight of him smirking made her blood boil._

_"What are you doing here Maddox?"_

_"What do you think I'm doing here, Agent Beckett? I'm just wondering why Castle isn't here to save you this time."_

_All of a sudden, he pointed his gun at her. She panicked. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot if she let her guard down._

_"Call me Detective."_

_"Aah I see. So you get rid of old writer boy yet?"_

_His mocking grin turned her insides wild with fury. _

_"That's none of your business, jackass. What do you want from me?"_

_"I want you to let me walk away."_

_"And why would I do that? Why not just shoot me?"_

_"Where's the fun in that? Why should I let you die for your cause instead of letting you live with the humiliation of watching me walk away?"_

_"Walk away, Maddox. To hell with you. Walk away but remember that this is not over. One day, I will hunt you down."_

_With that, he walked off laughing, into the oblivion. His built form disappeared right before her eyes. The raucous laughter still rang eerily in her ears and Kate shuddered to even think about it._

_"Well done Agent Beckett."_

_She spun around to see who it was. She recognized him intantly. There could have been no mistake. Elderly, devilish grin, the scar on his face still visible. _

_"Senator Bracken. Have you forgotten our deal?"_

_"Hahahaha. So this is your version of justice, I see. Cold blooded killings and a fleeing suspect. Is this what you meant by getting justice for your mother?"_

_"You do your job and let me do mine. You have no right or authority to interfere."_

_"Well the last time you did your job, you didn't do it right. You shot a killer in cold blood. I guess that makes you a killer too, doesn't it?"_

_Kate was furious. She pointed her gun at him and yelled._

_"Get the hell out of my face. I've killed before and I would not hesitate in pulling the trigger for you. So get out."_

_"Goodbye Beckett," he said as the entire earth around her boomed. It was a huge crash. Flames enveloped her. Piercing screams of women and children filled the air. Bracken was gone._

_Castle was nowhere to be seen. The acrid smell of the fire made her nose cringe. She stood up, a solitary tear rolling down her face._

x-x-x

She woke up with a jerk and glanced at the bedside alarm clock on the side table. 2.47 am. She was sweating profusely. She decided to get up and drink a glass of water. She carefully moved Castle's arm off of her and dragged her feet to the kitchen. She sat down on the couch, sipping the cold water, soothing down her nerves. In that moment, she knew what she had to do. She needed answers and there was only one person she knew to give them to her. Dr. Burke.

x-x-x

**Still more to come!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N-**Dear Readers, I have no idea how you can continue to read this story after my obvious long break from writing but I wanted to give justice to this story in whatever little time I have to spare. Please forgive me. You guys are amazing. I shall feel greatly honored if I manage to bring a smile to just one face.

_Previously: Kate is having dreams about DC and she's not sure what they mean so she wants to see Dr Burke. Castle has no idea but he wants her to tell him about it. Meanwhile, a 22 year old NYU student Linda ends up dead in an alleyway and all they know is that she changed her major and her dorm room recently. And now, we continue._  
xxxxxxx

When Castle woke up, Kate was already in the kitchen drinking her morning coffee. He wasn't surprised. She did wake up before him most days unless he pulled an all-nighter writing. He had spent countless happy mornings waking up to her home made coffee.  
Rubbing his eyes, he strolled into the kitchen. "Well looks like Detective Kate Beckett is back on her feet again. And boy, am i glad!"  
She couldn't help but smile. "Mornin' Castle. Made you coffee but you should probably brush your teeth first."

"Do I have to?," he asked with his puppy-dog eyes.

"Most definitely. "

"Just like you to ruin the moment, Beckett. "

"Well thats what happens when your aunt is a dentist."

"Aah fine. Wouldn't want to ruin these prize winners anyways. They're much too valuable. Did you know that US weekly says that 75% of women are impressed by men with good teeth. "

"As sure as I am that those stats are bogus, who were you planning on impressing really?"

"I was hoping my roguish charm and sparkling teeth would convince a certain detective to finally open up. A guy can only take so much, you know?"

With that, he left leaving Kate in a brooding mood. She knew how hard it must have been for him to watch her struggle with something he didn't even know about. She was going to tell him eventually of course. Just not now. She had already scheduled an appointment with Dr Burke for that evening. Her nerves had sufficiently calmed down and she was looking forward to seeing the shrink that had helped her overcome her inner demons.

When Castle came back, they had a peaceful breakfast, both of them cautiously avoiding the elephant in the room. They were just finishing up as Kate said, "Castle. I'm gonna take a quick shower and head to work. Are you coming with me today?"  
"As much as I'd like to I'd hate the thought of my ex wife and my fiancee having another tête a tête. So I'm going to stick around the loft and work on the book. "  
"Ok then. I think my shift will be done by 5, but I may have to wait until later. "  
"Of course. Job always comes first. "  
She flashed him a grateful smile and sped away towards the bathroom.

xxxxxxxx

It was nearing lunch time in the precinct and Kate had no new leads. The new roommate hadn't revealed much and Ryan and Esposito were still trying to get in touch with Linda's old roommate who was currently in Florida. Kate had also asked them to ask around on the campus to see what kind of a person she was. So far nothing had turned up. Kate was going through some of the stuff that the unis had sent her from their canvas of Linda's room. Her personal belongings like her diaries, magazines, concert tickets, old receipts, random collectibles, almost seeming like a tiny box of legacy that she had left behind for the world. Nikki read through Linda's emails to her brother in New Jersey praying for discrepancies to guide her on. She found none. She had just about given up when her phone rang. Castle's dopey smile showed up on her phone screen and she was relieved to get a break.

"Hey Castle, what's up? You want to figure out whether Nikki would be a fan of Wham! again?"

"No not this time. I was just checking up on you. "

"You are really bored aren't you? Done writing already?"

"Nope. Just an hour or more to go and I'll be done for today. Listen I was thinking...what if we go out tonight after your shift is done? We can have a nice candle light dinner to celebrate your victory over the flu. You in?"

"Sorry Castle. At the rate at which this case is going, it looks like I'm going to have to put in some overtime. "

"One day without me and already you're fading fast. Hmmm"

"Shut up Castle. Now go write. I'll see you tonight."

She regretted lying to Castle almost at the same instant as she spoke those words. But she had to figure this one out on her own. She didn't want to confuse Castle before she knew what was really going on. She went over the murder board over and over again to distract herself.

xxxxx

When it was finally time to leave for her appointment with Dr Burke, Kate said goodbye to the boys, who appeared deep in some conversation and headed towards the elevator unsure of what was in store for her. She turned up the music loud as she drove to her destination across town. She parked her car a few blocks south and decided to walk up. Just as she reached the door to the building, a voice called out. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Surprise. "

Castle was leaning against the building, that wicked smile on his face. He raised his eyebrow at her, clearly enjoying her plight. She yanked his arm and dragged him into the lobby, much to the astonishment of the doorman.

"Castle! What are you even doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, you know?"

"But you're not?"

"I don't need to. I already know."

"Castle I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how to. "

"Aren't you going to ask me how I found out?...Wait. I'll save you the trouble. I was going through your phone while you were in the shower and..."

"Hold on. You went through my phone? Castle! Don't you understand what personal means?"

"Save it. I know you went through my mail and sent that very uncool message to the super hot model who just moved in downstairs. She was just e-mailing me details of her housewarming party and you got us both removed from the guest list. "

"You know about that?"

"Ya. I thought it was very...feisty. Besides, she doesn't own a state-of-the-art home-theater system so her loft isn't worth visiting anyways."

Ignoring her eye-roll he went on, "Getting back to the point...I saw the recent calls so I knew where you were going. I just didn't know when. But when you lied to me about the dinner date, you blew that one wide open. And here I am! Kate why didn't you tell me that you were having issues with the PTSD? Is this because of the case? You did seem a bit haz-"

"What? No Castle. The PTSD hasn't bothered me in ages. It's just... I've been having disturbing dreams."

"Whoa, like Nightmare On Elm Street? I swear I did think someone crawled into our bedroom a few nights ago. "

"Castle this isn't funny. Can't you pretend to be grown up for even one second?"

"Oh. I never saw that coming. Look Kate, jokes apart. I really want to be there for you. And as much as I respect your privacy, you have to know that it's killing me to see you deal with this all alone and you know that I will never be the guy to just stand by and watch you go through this by yourself. So stop hiding from me. Whatever it is, let us do this together. "

"Wow Castle that's actually really sweet and I assure you that the only reason I kept this from you was to not worry you, especially since you have to get writing done. I'm not used to people holding my hand every step of the way. Running away is how I cope just like you hide behind your humor. "

"Those our our patterns aren't they? They always have been. "

"We still have a great time. We can't deny it."

"Yes. I think the last five years are enough testimony to that. "

"Hmm. So I guess since you're here already, you could join me. As long as you stay silent."

"Detective, I assure you that you will have my utmost co-operation. "

He made a little zipping motion with his fingers.

"Great. Thanks. Now lets go. We're already late. "

"Showtime!" He exclaimed as she led the way to Dr Burke's office. His flair for theatricality far overrode his pledge of seriousness and Kate tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile.  
Xxxxx

**I've already begun writing the next chapter but I make no promises. **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

She was surprisingly gladdened by the way things had turned out. She admitted to herself that she had handled things wrongly. Castle's being there was a gesture of the faith he had in her. He could have revolted, been angry, walked away. But he didn't. He chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. Even after she gave him no reason to. His cheery disposition had brightened her mood. Her worry partly transcended to optimism. She looked at the situation with a more positive light than she had before. And she was grateful.

Dr Carver Burke had been considerate enough to accommodate Castle in an individual session. The usually straight faced man showed genuine signs of surprise to see Castle there. In all his time counselling Beckett, he would have never imagined that she would let him come to her therapy session. Either these were signs of improvement or something else entirely was going on here, he thought. Quizzically, he began, "Mr Castle. Nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh no. It's entirely my pleasure. This might be some of the finest character research ever," he replied.

"Detective. What brings you both here today? You didn't say very much on the phone. Couples counselling isn't exactly my forte, you know?"

Kate took a deep breath before speaking. "Castle's just here to observe. I just thought since you were familiar with my case history...I couldn't even begin to be comfortable telling anybody else about my personal life this way."

Castle interrupted. "Added to the fact that you did manage to help Kate out the last time."

Kate flashed him a keep-your-mouth-shut look and he acquiesced.

Dr Burke smiled. "Right. So lets get started. Last time we met, you were having a dilemma of conscience. What's bothering you now?"

"Well this time, its my unconscious waverings."

Xxxx

For an hour she talked, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously. She didn't pause to take a breath. She had to get it all out.

Castle was spellbound. He couldn't manage to utter a word even if he wanted to. The fact that his fiancée was going through so much and all he had done was bombard her with wedding brochures did little to lighten his mind. The worry was clearly visible on his face, making him look a little bit older. He gazed at the floor looking up only when Kate faltered or fumbled. He held her hand, trying to be a pillar of support for her. Letting her know that he was there.

Dr Burke on the other hand, was calm and complacent. He asked questions from time to time. If he was genuinely concerned, it did not show.

When Kate had finally finished talking, she sat there solemnly, waiting for the verdict. There was an awkward, heavily laden moment of silence before Dr Burke broke the ice.

"So Kate, Its been what three months since you gave up on this DC job is it?

"Yes."

"And this is the first time you've had these dreams?"

"Actually, no. When I first decided to stay in New York, I may have had one or two. But they weren't as disturbing or vivid. I dismissed them as just nightmares. They didn't bother me at all. "

"And why do you think they didn't bother you at that time but are bothering you right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking you what has changed in three months? What is it that has got you more anxious now than you were then?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. "

"Ok. Are the dreams different from the last time?"

"Well yes. They seem more real now. It's almost as if they're actually happening. When I wake up I can remember each and every detail."

"Hmm I see but do-"

The silence in the room was shattered by the ringing of a phone. Kate murmured her apologies as she whipped out her phone.

"I'm sorry. It's the precinct calling. I'm going to have to get this outside. I'll be back in a few. "

xxxxxxxxx

Ryan's cheery voice rang out when Kate picked up the phone.  
"Hey Beckett. Everything ok? Where are you? You kinda left early. "

"Ryan I'm actually in the middle of something. You got anything on the case?"

"Yeah. Thats why I called you. We found Lindy's old roommate. She flew here from Florida and she's at the precinct right now. You want us to wait for you or should we carry on?"

"No. Hang on. I'll be there as fast as I can. "

xxxxxxxxxx

The two men sat in quiet for a while, neither knowing quite the right way to start. Dr Burke stepped in, making use of his seniority.

"So Mr Castle. I see you had no idea about what happened. "

"As a matter of fact, no. No i didn't. I asked her about it a couple of times recently but it didn't turn out to be very helpful. But like she said, she didn't seem worried or stressed before. It just started recently. "

"So you're getting married?"

"Oh yeah. We're very excited about it. "

"We are? Or 'you' are?"

Castle raised his eyebrows skeptically.  
"Hold on. What is that supposed to mean? Are you implying that Kate doesn't want to marry me? Because that is just wrong. I see her everyday. And she is happy. Happier than I've ever seen before. "

"I'm not denying that. I'm assuming you both talked about this, about her job and whether or not she moved to DC. "

"Yes we did discuss it. And she said she wanted to work here and make our marriage work. I don't see how that is affecting any of this. "

"The DC job was a huge opportunity for Kate. Don't you think that she might regret having let it go?"

"I don't know anymore. This is all so convoluted. "

"The human mind is complicated. Sometimes it is telling us so much more than we can comprehend."

"How is it helping us if we can't make sense of it?"

"Well thats what I'm here for."

"You think she'll make it out of this?"

"Definitely. But in my professional opinion, she would do much better with individual counselling. Don't take this the wrong way but 'you' being here might prove to be a conflict of interest. "

Begrudgingly, Castle had to agree. Him being there, if anything, would get in the way of solving the problem. This was Kate's decision to make and he wanted her to choose what she thought was the best for herself. He didn't want her to compromise or settle for anything. She deserved everything that she had accomplished. She deserved a shot.

Falteringly, he replied, "So what do I do now? I can't just stand by. "

"I think you and your fiancée need to have a long talk about how things would go either ways. Meanwhile, I'll be working on the nightmares. "

"That sounds like a good plan but what if it isn't enough?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, I'd advice you to proceed with optimism. Try to keep it as normal as possible at home. Make her feel like she's free to voice her opinion and free to make her own decision. Most of all you need to be ready to accept whatever decision she makes. "

The door knob turned and Beckett returned to her spot on the couch. "Why do I feel like I'm interrupting something?" she said.

"Oh never mind," Castle said.

"I was just telling your fiancé that I think it might be best to continue these sessions on an individual basis," said Dr Burke.

"I'd love to see you convince him on that one," she said, smirking.

"I already did. "

Kate flashed a shocked glance at Castle who just nodded sheepishly.

"I guess its for the best then," she managed a smile and said.

"I hate to tell you this but the hour is up and I have another patient waiting to come in. You can talk to my secretary regarding your next appointment at your convenience and I will see you then. "

"Oh of course. I wouldn't want to intrude on any more of your time. Thank you. I will see you next time. "

"Detective, always a pleasure. Great to see you, Mr Castle and Congratulations on your engagement."

xxxxxxxx

"Do me a favour. Never leave me alone with that man ever again," Castle said as they drove to the precinct.

"He read you like a book, didn't he?"

"He used his Jedi mind tricks on me. Creepy."

"Well he's the best."

"I sure hope so. He totally got me."

"You're easy Castle."

"No I'm not."

"Uh-huh keep telling yourself that. When I entered that room, you looked like someone just told you that your dog had died."

"Did you see his face because I gave him an ear full too."

"Ya sure you did."

She rolled her eyes at him and smiled.

"What did you two even talk about?"

"Tell you when we get home."

"Ok. "

"And now you can fill me in on the case."

xxxxxxxxx  
A/N: I was a little worried about this chapter since I wanted to get the characters right. Let me know if you thought anyone went OOC. Thanks again for all the views, reviews, follows and favs.

Sai Pitre


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